We just passed the second anniversary of the Anaheim Ducks appointing Pat Verbeek as their General Manager. Let's take a look at the trades he made in year two.
Saturday marked the second anniversary (Feb 3, 2022) of the Anaheim Ducks hiring Pat Verbeek as their General Manager. He was brought into the organization on the precipice of an inflection point. The team had seemingly attempted to stave off a rebuild for as long as they could but were trending toward missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season at the halfway mark of the 2021-22 season.
Verbeek took over in the Ducks’ front office just six weeks before the 2022 NHL trade deadline. The team had three key core pieces who were pending UFAs; Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm, and Rickard Rakell. Decisions needed to be made on whether to re-sign these three players or trade them to recoup assets before they hit the free-agent market in the summer.
Verbeek decided to move on from the former core and was tremendously active in acquiring as many valuable pieces as he could. The Summer of 2022 saw him acquire Dmitry Kulikov in a trade with the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations. He leveraged his considerable cap space and essentially brought in a veteran defenseman without sending anything back in exchange.
Pat Verbeek's Second Year on the Job: Coaching
Feb. 28, 2023
To San Jose: Henry Thrun (signing rights)
To Anaheim: 2024 third-round pick
As the 2022-23 season progressed closer to the finish line, Harvard University defenseman Henry Thrun (101st in 2019) notified Pat Verbeek he didn’t intend to sign with the Ducks after his Senior season. The Ducks had a crowded pipeline of LHDs and he didn’t seem to see a fit among them. Verbeek was able to trade his rights to the Sharks, with whom Thrun signed, and made his NHL debut in March of 2023. In exchange, the Ducks received a third-round pick in 2024; a pick that will be in the mid-sixties.
Mar. 3, 2023
To Pittsburgh: Dmitry Kulikov - One year remaining (50% retained) - $1.125 million AAV
To Anaheim: Brock McGinn - Two years remaining - $2.75 million AAV and 2024 third-round pick
Dmitry Kulukov was acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the summer of 2022 for future considerations. Six months later, he was traded for a depth forward and a pick. If there was a quibble to be had, it might be that the third-round pick in the deal could have been the price alone for taking McGinn’s contract. McGinn had cleared waivers and was to report to the AHL had he not been dealt.
Mar. 3, 2023
To Minnesota: John Klingberg - One year remaining (50% retained) - $3.5 million AAV
To Anaheim: Andrej Sustr, Nikita Nesterenko (signing rights), 2025 fourth-round pick
John Klingberg signed with Anaheim during the 2022 offseason. He bet on himself with a one-year deal hoping he could earn a longer-term contract the following summer. The contract carried a 21-team no-trade clause. The fit wasn’t right and the season didn’t go according to plan for either Klingberg or the Ducks. While Verbeek was negotiating, he let the clock run down to the final minutes before the trade deadline in hopes a better deal for Klingberg would present itself. It didn’t. Verbeek took the best deal on the table. Andrej Sustr finished the year in the AHL playing for the Gulls. Nikita Nesterenko signed his ELC when his NCAA season was over at Boston College and played nine games for the Ducks. He has totaled 25 points in 41 AHL games this year for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Aug. 18, 2023
To Buffalo: 2025 4th-round pick
To Anaheim: Ilya Lyubushkin - One year remaining - $2.75 million AAV
As training camp drew nearer late in the summer of 2023, the Ducks had an open spot on the right side of their blueline. Lyubushkin was seen as a low-risk option who could provide quality insulation if paired with one of the several young left-shot defensemen the Ducks had in their pipeline. Pavel Mintyukov made the Ducks’ opening night roster and turned some heads in 2023-24 before an injury to his shoulder in January. Lyubushkin was instrumental to Mintyukov’s early success and complimented his play style well.
Jan. 8, 2024
To Philadelphia: Jamie Drysdale - Three years remaining - $2.3 million AAV and 2025 second-round pick
To Anaheim: Cutter Gauthier (signing rights)
Danny Briere and Pat Verbeek stunned the hockey world shortly after the new year with a swap of young recent top-10 draft picks; Drysdale (6th overall in 2020) and Gauthier (5th overall in 2022). Cutter Gauthier had informed the Flyers he didn’t intend to sign with them, so after his productive World Junior Championship performance (12 points in 7 games) that saw his team USA win gold, the Flyers traded his signing rights. Gauthier brings a skillset the Ducks’ prospect pool severely lacked (and has lacked since Corey Perry’s prime); an instant-offense goal-scorer who could change the trajectory of a hockey game at the drop of a hat. The Ducks had a stable of immensely talented and mobile young defensemen, but they all brought similar capabilities to the team. The Flyers received exceptional value (a 21-year-old staple on the right side of their blueline for the foreseeable future and a second-round pick) for a player who wasn’t going to sign with them. Reports indicate Gauthier will sign his ELC when his NCAA season at Boston College concludes.
Pat Verbeek has seemingly gotten decent value when trading players whose days were numbered in the Ducks organization. Trading for Cutter Gauthier was his first foundation-shaking acquisition via trade in his two-year tenure. With his third trade deadline just one month away, there are several players on the Ducks’ roster garnering interest league-wide.
Adam Henrique seems to be another pending UFA who will likely be traded, but a true litmus test for Verbeek will be how he handles the conversations and negotiations for players who aren’t so obvious to be traded.
NHL Players Vote Trevor Zegras the League's Most Overrated
Leo Carlsson is Rollin With the Punches in His Rookie Season